


Find Me

by DontOffendTheBees



Series: Candy Hearts [8]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Aging, Bittersweet, Christmas, Ficlet, Immortal Merlin, Immortality, M/M, Pining Merlin, Post-Series, Sad, Waiting for Arthur Pendragon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2015-12-21
Packaged: 2018-05-06 16:08:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5423423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DontOffendTheBees/pseuds/DontOffendTheBees
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The sun sets on another long, long year of waiting for his prince.</p><p>Part of the Candy Hearts series- stories are otherwise completely unrelated and need not all be read/be read in order.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Find Me

**Author's Note:**

> Time for a classic- Merthur!
> 
> This is one of my sadder fics of the series, so don't expect to go away from this one with fluffy Christmas feels.
> 
> Enjoy!

“How much longer is this lie-in going to last?”

The lake was quiet. Not a ripple to break the reflection of the sunset sky, setting the surface aglow with gentle fire. Not a soul in sight. The creatures of the lake were deep in hibernation or far, far away in warmer climates. Not a hiker or fisherman to seen. Who would be out here, waist deep in freezing water, on today of all days?

Merlin had quite lost count of the amount of December 25ths he'd lived through. Every one of them spent here on this very shore. The meaning of the day had changed many, many times over the years, holidays and rituals came and went. But for him the sad, simple truth remained. It was the mark of another long, long year spent waiting. Wishing.

“You've got to get up sometime, you lazy lump,” he muttered. The cold December wind snatched his words away. “I'm not getting any younger, here.”

He glanced down at his hands, wrinkled and crooked with arthritis. At his hair, hanging long, unkempt and snowy white about his shoulders. He could only imagine what his prince would say if he saw him now. A wizened tangle of tired limbs and stiff joints. Oh, he'd been experimenting with magical and non-magical remedies by the dozen. But no matter how hard you try, immortality is an endless battle with the fragility of flesh. No, he certainly was not getting any younger. Perhaps it was fortunate he kept himself to himself. His old lungs would likely give out with the strain of blowing out his birthday candles, had he any friends to bring him cake.

He chuckled. It evolved into a full-body laugh, and then dissolved into a small fit of hoarse coughing. He was quite unused to such mirth. Well, at least he could learn to laugh about it.

He sighed, gazing out across the water. It blazed red now as the sun set further below the horizon. Soon it would be gone altogether, the night drawing in on another long year. A long, lonely year of waiting. Of wishing.

Of hoping.

He held his hand out across the blazing water. His magic buzzed beneath his skin, as if it too could feel the importance of this place. Drawn to the waters like a moth to a flame.

 _Perhaps not a moth, exactly,_ Merlin mused as his magic took shape. Stretching, twisting, fluttering across his outstretched palm with delicate sapphire wings.

The butterfly fairly glowed as it spiraled up, away from his ancient hand. Away into the air, dancing gracefully across the water. Soaring in a way he hadn't for many, many years.

“Merry Christmas, Arthur…”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry.
> 
> Well, hope you enjoyed that little angst fest- your comments make Merlin's long, long wait a little more bearable!
> 
> On to my other femslash pairing tomorrow- stay tuned!
> 
> Farewell! X


End file.
